GENESEE COUNTY, MI – The Genesee County Sheriff's
Department has lost 15 officers in the last two weeks to retirements before health care payments increase, said
Sheriff Robert Pickell.

Pickell said the reason for the employees heading for the door is they would be subject to increases on health care co-payments if
they didn't retire by May 1. Genesee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jaime Curtis
said it is part of state Public Act 152, which was passed in 2011.

"Those who had enough years to retire, retired
because they would have to pay more," Pickell said.

This is the first year law enforcement personnel
are included in the health insurance co-payment increases, Curtis said. If the county didn't enact the
increases, the county would have lost some state revenue sharing, Curtis said. Pickell
said co-pays would double for employees.

Heidi Molyneux, who was with the department for
nearly 20 years, is one of those retirees. She called it a "life-changing"
decision. She said when she received her open enrollment information for insurance she
learned that her co-pay would increase more than 60 percent per month.

"There were several of us who had a very short
time to make a difficult decision," said Molyneux, who spent most of her time
in the department patrolling Vienna Township. "It was the hardest decision I ever
had to make. I wasn't ready to go yet."

It has put Pickell in a bit of a quagmire, he
said. Deputies, sergeants and lieutenants left from all units
within the department, said Pickell. They retired, left for another job or deferred their retirement until they reached the 20-year-threshold. The process to replace them has
already started, he said.

"I understand their dilemma, but I'm losing a
lot of experienced people," he said. "We've been cut drastically for the last
couple years, so we have to replace them."

Pickell said he has lost about 29 people – or 10
percent – of the department in the last year.

Molyneux was well ingrained in the community and
was named this week the Clio VFW's "Officer of the Year."

"I had gotten to know the community very well," she
said. "I absolutely love what I do."